Avalanche in French Alps Kills At Least Two High School Students

An avalanche in the French Alps on Wednesday struck a group of 10 high-school students taking part in a ski trip, killing two of them and injuring at least five. A third skier who was not affiliated with the group of students was also killed.

The students hailed from a high school near Lyon, France, according to the BBC, which said several students were found in a state of cardiac arrest. They were swept up in the avalanche around 4 p.m. local time — 10 a.m. E.T. — at the Deux Alpes Ski resort in the southwestern portion of France. Authorities had launched a massive rescue operation using heat-detection equipment, according to NBC News.

The area had just experienced heavy snowfall, but had earlier seen unusually warm temperatures for the season, according to AccuWeather.com. The avalanche was likely the result of people skiing in the area, the BBC noted.